How to Rectify Subsidence Issues

Subsidence is something that every homeowner dreads. But just because you start to experience signs of subsidence doesn’t mean that you have to move house or knock it all down and start again. Subsidence can be fixed relatively easily using a wide range of different solutions. 

The solutions that are used to rectify subsidence will vary depending on the size of your property and the severity of the subsidence. So let us take you through everything you need to know about the issue, together with how it can be fixed, for your absolute peace of mind.

What is subsidence?

In short, subsidence is the movement of a property foundation, or the ground below the foundation, that causes the building itself to become compromised. The movement in the ground will cause the building to sink into the ground. 

This, in turn, causes structural issues within the home, both inside and out. But you must not panic if this scenario applies to you. This is because subsidence issues can be rectified by way of underpinning solutions, re-levelling, stabilisation and more, all of which can be delivered and executed seamlessly by Geobear.

What causes subsidence?

There are several different risk factors involved with regards to whether or not subsidence affects your property. The most common reason is soil shrinkage and tree root disturbances, but there can be other causes of subsidence and heave, which is something that can also affect the structural integrity of your property.

There might be a few other things that have put your house at risk from the offset, including your home being built on the site of an old quarry or mine, for example. This is something that should come up on the searches when you purchase the house, so you can make an informed decision about whether or not you should go ahead with the purchase when armed with that information. Some of the other causes of subsidence includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Soil that’s become too wet
• Soil that’s become too dry
• Tree roots
• Historical issues, such as the house being built on the site of former marshland
• Broken, cracked or damaged pipework
• Leaking gutters

What are the signs of subsidence?

If you aren’t sure about whether or not your home is suffering from subsidence, you’ll be able to firstly determine the risk by looking into the aforementioned causes. You’ll then be in a better position to be able to mitigate the occurrence of subsidence by: removing trees that are too close to your house, having pipework regularly inspected, fixing guttering that leaks and more. However, it might be too late to start taking preventative measures. If you’ve noticed one or more of the following signs of subsidence, then your property is likely experiencing a structural issue:

• Cracks in walls, ceilings and floors
• Doors and windows that have become jammed
• Doors and windows that won’t close
• Cracks appearing in exterior walls
• Wallpaper rippling with no signs of damp or moisture
• Patios, garden paths and driveways that have become uneven or sloped
• Sinking floors or ceilings
• Skirting boards and architraves coming away from the wall
• Puddles forming in certain spots of your garden or driveway

How to fix subsidence issues

Fixing subsidence issues is something that Geobear are able to do for you. We can underpin your property, regardless of the severity of your case, using non-disruptive technology. This means that we’ll be able to implement subsidence solutions with minimal disruption to your household. We have no need to excavate the grounds around your house, meaning it’s a mess-free solution that even the busiest of families can benefit from. 

Instead of digging up your garden, we will inject the ground with resin. The resin will travel through the ground, expanding as it goes. This ensures that all voids are filled and stabilised, forcing your property back to its original position whilst strengthening the ground underneath. Underpinning is a highly-effective solution that has the impressive potential to last for many decades to come. We endeavour to provide our clients with complete peace of mind with our subsidence solutions. 

If you would like further information about our underpinning methods or if you’d like to learn more about our other subsidence solutions, then get in touch with a member of our highly-trained, professional team today – we’re always pleased to hear from you.